YOUNGSTOWN — Damian Cessna, 27, of Boardman, who a jury found guilty in September of felony obstructing official business and misdemeanor aggravated menacing charges, is asking a judge to reinstate bond.

Cessna posted bond April 7, 2022, but Mahoning County Common Pleas Judge Maureen Sweeney revoked Cessna’s bond after the jury verdict, Cessna’s attorney, Mark Lavelle, stated in a filing.

However, Cessna has nearly one year of jail time credit, and his sentence for the obstructing official business can be no more than 12 months, the motion states. “And since (Cessna) had no issue with complying with the terms of his bond for 2 1/2 years, (Cessna) now requests that this court reinstate his bond pending the trial, which is now scheduled for April 2025,” Lavelle stated.

The jury was unable to render a verdict on a felonious assault charge.

Cessna was riding a bicycle at 1 a.m. July 13, 2021, on South Avenue near Mathews Road in Boardman and was in the wrong lane of travel with no lights on the bicycle while holding a baseball bat, according to Boardman police and court testimony in Cessna’s trial.

Officer Evan Beil said he made a traffic stop on Cessna because Beil was concerned for Cessna’s safety. Cessna put down the baseball bat when Beil asked him to, but Cessna refused when Beil asked Cessna to take a knife from a sheath on Cessna’s belt and toss it away.

Cessna raised the knife to about head level with his elbow bent and charged toward Beil, the officer said. Beil fired 11 shots at Cessna, hitting him multiple times, according to trial testimony.

Following an investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, then-Mahoning County Prosecutor Paul Gains cleared Beil of any wrongdoing in the shooting.

In opening statements in the trial, Lavelle said Cessna calmed himself from the stress of his life by going on walks and bike rides late at night, “so as not to run into people,” Lavelle said. It helped him sleep, Cessna said.